Attachment for stapling machines



J. T. DALToN 2,207,913

ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed Deo. 3l, 1958 E Sheets-Sheet l Julyl 16,` 1940.

July 16, v1940. J. T. DALToN 2,207,913

ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed Dec. '31, 1938' 5 Sheets-Shes?I 2 July 16, 1940. J. T.YDAl ToN ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed Deo. 5l, 1958 5 Sheets-Shea?I 3 grwma/to/o July'l, 1940. J, T, DALTON 2,207,913 I AI'TAGHMEN'll FR STAPLIIINGl MACHINES Filed Dec. 31, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 16, 1940. J. T. DALTON ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed Dec. 31, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w ,m @,/f o) S v a m ,0/J,5,.5.5..M,.MM 1, M d f 5 M a. e l 5 a. 1v l y ,1. r .L P 55% @.66 n 2j.. s 4 2 v. W T w o e wha. 1 @u ....P.. 6 n 7 7 @www Patented July 16, 1940 A UNITED STATES v2,207,913 ATTACHMENT Fon. sTAPLING MACHINES John rlhomas Dalton, Durham, N. C., assigner to Golden Belt Manufacturing Company, Inc.,

Durham, N. C., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 31, 1938, Serial No. 248,709

14 Claims.

This invention relates to Wire stitchers or stapling machines and more particularly to a feeding attachment for a Wire stitcher or stapling machine.

In mycopending application, Serial No. 234,916, filed October 14 1938, I have disclosed and claimed mechanism for attaching a tag to the string of a bag, such as a tobacco bag. The mechanism disclosed therein includes means for delivering the bags to the. stitching machine and arranging the string on the anvil of the stitching machine and means for feeding tags to .the anvil, the operation of the parts being coordinated With the operation of the stitcher head.

I'he present invention relates more specically to the bag feeding mechanism. In the machine forming the subject matter of the present application, I employ the mechanism disclosed and claimed in the said copending application to feed tags to the anvil vwith a step by step movement coordinated with the operation of the stitching .machine, or any other suitable means for so feeding the tags. In place of the bag feeding mechanism disclosed in my copending application, I employ a rotary table having means for holding bags and having a flange or edge provided with guides to receive the strings of the bags and properly position them for feeding to the anvil of the stitching machine.

The invention further comprises means forV engaging the string of a bag, as the feed table f rotates and guiding it to the anvil in position to Fig. l is a perspective vieW of a wire stitching machine showing tag feeding means and also lshowing the rotary feed table for the bags;

Fig. 2 is a skeleton perspective View with the feed table shown in dotted lines showing the various drive mechanism; f i

Fig. 3 is detailed, sectional View of a portion of the feed table showing the meansfor holding the bag strings during the feeding operation;

Fig. 4 is a detailed View of a portion of the mechanism for 4feeding individual strings to the anvil;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the feed table;

Fig. 6 is a detailed, perspective view of drive mechanism for the hook which engages the bag string and feeds it over the anvil;

` Fig. '7 is a. detailedview of a string combing mechanism;

f Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the stitcher head and anvil showing'the position of the tag and string prior to the stitching operation;

Fig. 9 is a detailed View of another string combing mechanism forming a part of the present machine;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the feed table, stitcher head and anvil showing the relative positions of these members and the string guid- 'Ihe Wire stitching machine may be of any suitable construction, for instance, such .as is shovvn in the patent to Maynard, No. 1,302,402. A'detailed description thereof is therefore believed to be unnecessary.

As shown in Fig. 1, the Wire stitching mechanism may comprise a suitable stitchinghead 4 mounted'on anv arm 5 secured to the bed of the machine by bolts arranged in flanges 6 on the base of the wire stitcher. It may be driven by a motor I whose shaft carries a pinion 8 (see Fig. 2) 'meshing with a gear 9 mounted on the main shaft (not shown) of the wire stitching machine, which shaft extends through the horizontal portion of the arm 4.

As vshown in Fig. 8 an anvil Il] is arranged beneath the stitcher head 4. The stitcher head carries a reel II upon Which is mounted a coil of Wire I2 and the Wire is fed from lthis coil through a guide tube I3 into the stitcher head. A tag IA is delivered to the anvil by suitable tag feeding mechanism having a step by `step movement coordinated With the operation of the stitcher head to deliver a tag to the anvil between each two descents of the stitcher head. At the same time a bag I5 is fed into position Whereby one of its vstrings IIi Vmay be arranged over the anvil to stitch the tag to it. l

The bag feeding mechanism comprises a table Il rotatably mounted upon a shaft I8, the table being arranged horizontally and the shaft vertically. 'Ihe table is rotated at the proper speed for the delivery of the bags to the anvil of the Shaft 34 extends forwardly and drives a inainl drive shaft 35 through suitable bevel gears 3'! and 38. Shaft 38 is provided with a sprocket 39 and shaft 30 is provided with aligned sprocket 40. A chain 4I passes over these two shafts to drive the worm shaft 3i] from the main shaft Et.

The bag feeding table il is provided with a groove 32 adjacent its edge and a guide plate or ring i3 is arranged in this groove. Another plate 44 is arranged at the edge of the table. The plate i3 is provided with a flat top to support the string end of the bags and the plate it is provided with spaced notches (it. snrface of the table is provided with an inner roti7 of pegs il arranged in pairs as shown in 5 and with an outer row of pegs 53. The bags are placed on the table by an operator standing at the side of the table opposite the stitchci head, a bundle of bags being placed between a pair of pins ST with substantially half of the bundle extending on one side of the correspond ing pin B3 and the other half extending on the other side of the pin. The bags are arranged with their sides supported on the ring iii and the string loopat one side of the bags are then fed through the notches @6 as shown in Fig. 3 ci the drawings. The string loop at the other side of the bag hangs in front of the top or mouth of the bag as shown in Figs. 3, 8 and i0 of the drawn ings.

A string separating member is arranged along the front of the stitching machine to receive eachstrng as the machine operates and deliver it into position to be fed to the anvil. The position of this member is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the construction thereof is shown in Fig. 4. As shown, a shaft SG is provided with a sprocket wheel Si upon its end which is aligned with a sprocket wheel 62 mounted on the main shaft 35 and a sprocket chain 63 passes over these sprocket wheels to drive the shaft d. The Shaft E!) is mounted in suitable bearings on the frame of the machine (as shown at 66') and has an enlargement 6d arranged on its end adjacent the anvil Hi. This enlargement is provided with a substantially spiral groove S5. The enlargement 64 in the spiral groove is arranged over the portion of the table between the plates @it and it in such position that the looped strings i6 are received in the groove 65 as the feed table rotates and each looped string rides along the under side of the groove 65 to the outer end 65' of the enlargement. rihe shaft 6D is provided with a longitudinal groove 6,6 in which rides a string engaging member which carries the string over the anvil. The string engaging member is shown in Fig. 6 of Athe drawings. As shown, the shaft 35 drives a shaft 6l arranged adjacent to and parallel to the shaft 3E through suitable gears 68. Shaft St is provided with a cam member 59 having a cam groove for the reception of a pair of rollers lil. The rollers iii are carried by a reciprocating member 'H mounted in suitable guides l2 on the frame of the maof the machine as indicated at .85.

' movement of the shaft ll.

chine. The reciprocating member carries a curved arm l3- on its end, thisarm being pivote ally mounted on the reciprocating member at *lli and carrying a vbag engaging arm 'it on its free end. As shown,'tlie end of the '5 is forked to engage the string of the bag, thehook 'i5 traveling in the groove during the reciprocation ci the reciprocating member 'il and being osciilated to carry the string over the anvil at the end of the reciprocation. g Arm it; is oscil- `lated by means of a shaft El which'is carried by a groove for the reception of a roller 825 carried The arm is plvoted on the frame Arm B15 is by an arm 3d.

connected to the rack by a link B6. oscillating shaft il is provided with a crank Sil which is connected to the curved arm l? by link Eil at a point adjacent the pivot'l'ii.v The connection of the oscillating shaft 'il' to the curved arm at a point near the pivot `gives a wide swinging oscillation to the hook it upon slight Reciprocating ine-1nber ii is also provided with an upwardly extending arm @i2 at itsforward edge carrying an arm The end ofY Eil@ having a notch i iii on its outer end to lengage Y the side of a' tag iii as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings and properly position it on the anvil for the stitching operation.

After the tag has been stitched to the bag string. the strings are combed away from the anvil by combingv mechanism shown yin Figqfl-of the drawings. A bar iflZ (see Fig. 6) is secured to the reciprocating member and extends the front of the stitching machine in front of the anvil. his bar iii? engages a stud arm it? mounted on a lever itt.

oted to a stationary arm mii carried by the frame of the machine intermediate its ends as indicated at ii. The other end of the lever Hill is connected to a link 26's which extends across the machine adjacent the anvil and is in turn pivoted to a link la. Link it is pivotally mounted on the stitcher head at i539. Link Hi? is provided with a pin iii) which forms. a pivot for a combing arm HI, the combing'arm lil having a notch or tooth l i2 adjacent one end. A spring l i 3 is arranged on the pivot pin i iii and is secured'te the pin and the link lill" to normally tend to cause the combing arm to move in a clockwise direction. Movement ofthe combing device is limited by a pin Hli carried by the link iil and engaging a hook i i'on the `end of the combngarm opposite the tooth H2.'

The combing. arm is also provided with an eX- tension llt on f its upper surface adapted to engage a projection lll mounted on the stitching machine to move the combing arm in a counter-clockwise direction against the. tension ofl spring H3.

The operation of the combing arm is as follows: W'hen bar EQ2 moves to the leftin Fig.' 7 of the drawings, it swings the lever mit on `its pivot and moves the link lll lto the right. As the arm itil moves to the right, extension H7 engages proiection H5, revolving the combing arm lli counter-clockwise against the tension of spring H3. At the endof this movement, bar

ft2 'moves in areverse direction and lever it is returned to its initial position by a spring |20` The leverr itil ispivesY secured to thel lower-'end of lever |04 and to the frame 'of the machine= see Fig. 2). This moves the link |01 to the leftin Fig. 7 of the drawings, and asf soon as the extension vI I6 of the combing arm moves away 'from the projection II1, spring II3 swings the combing L-arm in a clock- Wise direction moving the Vend with the tooth' or notch I I2 downwardly in an `arc and `causing it to engage the string-of the bag just stitched and carry it away from the anvil.

The machine further comprises a combing device which cooperates with the separating mem ber64 and the hook 16 to deliver the .looped vstring to the anvil (see Figs. 9 vand 10). The details of this device are shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The relative positions of the members 64 and 16 andthe combing device are shown in Figs, 10 and l1 of the drawings." As shown, main drive shaft 36 is provided with a bevel gearl |30 which meshes with a bevel gear |3| on a shaft v|32 (see Fig. 6). Shaft |32 4is provided with a cam |33 engaging an arm |34 (see Fig. 9). .Arm |34 is provided with avcurvedl end |35 adapted to receive a pivot pinr |36 carried in a bracket |31 on the frame of the machine. The opposite end of the arm |34 is provided with a slot |38 for the reception `of, suitable fastening meanspassing through a vertically extending member |39. The provision of the slot |38l permits `adjustment of th'earm I 39 andv the combing member carried thereby. As shown, the upper end of the member |39 carries a substantially horizontal combing arm |40 having a't'ooth or' notch I 4I at its outer end. The operation of this device will` be apparent. As each lower looped string I 6 is separately fed through the' groove 65 ofthe separating member and reaches the end of the groove, the notch I4I picks up the looped string and elevates it to a height sufcient thaty lthe hook 16, travelling in the groove 66 .of the spiral member catches the string in itsforked end and carries it over the tag and anvilfor the stapling operation.

The tagjfeeding mechanism may consist of any suitable means for' feeding tags singly to the anvil Ifand -coordinating the feed with the operation of the stitcher head. Suitable means for this purpose are describedin my copending applicatioirheretoforey referredto and parts are illustrated herein although c the details of the feed mechanism are not so illustrated. As shown, the tags may be arranged in a tube I 50 which has an internal diameter substantially equal to the `diameter of the tags so that the tags are arranged in stacked formation or in a column. A plate I5I is arranged on top of the tube and is provided with an opening of the same diameter as. the interior of the tube. A hopper |52 is mounted on this plate, the hopper being of greater diameter than the tube and the opening in the plate. This hopper is adapted to be oscillated to deliver tags into the tube |50. As shown, a collar I 53 surrounds the hopper adjacent the plate I5| and this collar is carried by an arm |54 which is connected to an oscillating arm |55. Arm |55 is eccentrically connected to a pair of discs |56 and |51. These discs are mounted on shafts |58 and |59, respectively. Shaft |59 is provided with a bevel gear |60 o-n its lower end meshing with a bevel gear I6I on the shaft 61 and shaft |58 is driven from the shaft 61 by similarl bevel gears (not shown).

The tags are deliveredy singly from the. bottom of tube |50 by vsuitable tag feeding mechanism (not shown) to the anvil I0. The delivery of the 4has been lelevated by the combing device.

tags is coordinated with the operation of the stitcher head so that a single tag is delivered to the anvil between each 'two descents of the stitcher head. An operator stands at the side of the rotary table opposite the stitcher head and places the bags on the table,` a bundle of` bags being arranged between a pairv of thepegs 41 and around one of the pegs l-48 as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.v 'Ihe strings on the side of the bag at the bottom are passed through the slots 46 and arranged as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. As the table I1 rotates, each bag string in the notches 46 rides along the under side of the groove 65 and is separated from the other looped strings. When it reaches the end of the groove the hook or notch I4| whichis arranged over the edge of the table, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, engages the string and ele'vates it to a point wher'e it will be engaged by the hook 16. As the hook 16 reciprocates toward the anvil the groove 66 is in the position shown in Figs.. 10 and 11 of the drawings and hook 16 rides through the groove 66 to receive thefstring that Hook 16 then carries the lower looped string over the anvil to the position shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The stitcher head then descends and stitches the tag to the string I6. When the reciprocating member' 1I moves forwardly arm |00 engages the tag I4 to swing it around into proper position for 'the stitching operation. The bags with the strings attached thereto are carried around on the table away from the anvil and ar'e removed from the table by an attendant.

,The combing arm II I, being rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to raise the hooked end |I2 when the reciprocating member 1I travels to its operative position is released upon the rearward movement of reciprocating member 1I and spring |20 swings arm |24 ony its pivot to move the link |01 andthe combing arm to the left in Fig. .'1 of the drawings. This releases the projection I I6 of the combing arm from the lug II1 and permits the spring I I3 to swing the combing arm in a clockwise direction whereby the hooked end or notch IIZ engages thev bag string I6 to which a tag has been stitchedand removes it from theanvil. y

I claim: A

1. In combination with a wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, spaced members arranged on the table for supporting a plurality of bags between pairs of said members with the bag strings arranged at the edge of the table, means for separating and positioning the strings of the bags, and string guiding mechanism to position a string of a bag over the anvil.

2. In combination lwith a wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, spaced members mounted on the table for supporting a plurality of bags between pairs of said members with the .bag strings arranged adjacent the edge of the table, the edge of the table being provided with a plurality of notches for separating and positioning the strings of the bags, and string guiding mechanism to position a string of a bag over the anvil.

3. In combination with a wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, spaced members mounted on the table for supporting a plurality of bags between pairs of said members with the strings of the bags ,arranged adjacent the edge of the table, a member mounted on the edge of the table having notches therein for receiving the bag strings to separate the strings of each bag from the strings of adjacent bags, and string guidingmechanism to position a string of a bag over the anvil.

. 4. InV combination with a wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, and a rotating member' arranged adjacent theanvil having a spiral groove for the reception of the bag string.

5. In combination with a wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, a hook arranged near the anvil to engage the bag string and feed it over the anvil, and means for reciprocating and oscillating said hook.

6. In combination with a Wire Stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, means for separating and positioning the bag strings on said table, a hook for feeding the bag string over the anvil f the stitchingmachine, and means for reciprocating and oscillating said hook.

7. .In combination with a wire stitching machine, a rotary tableadapted vto feed bags-t0 the anvil of the stitching machine, means on the table for separating and positioning the strings of the bags, a reciprocating member arranged adjacent the anvil of the stitching machine, a hook carried by the reciprocating member adapted to engage a bag string and carry it over the anvil; and means for oscillating Said hook.

8. In combination With a Wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, a rotating member having a spiral i groove for the reception of a bag string, and an oscillating member adapted to engage and retain a bag string displaced from said rotating member.

9, In combination with a Wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, a hook to engage a bag string and feed tion.

it over the anvil, and acombing deviceto remove the bag string from the anvil after the stitching operation.

l0. In combination Withl a Wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, meansy for separating and supporting the strings of the bags, a hook to engage a bag string and feed it over the anvil, and a combing device to remove the bag string from the vicinity of the anvil after the stitching operation.

11. In combination with a wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to'feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of thestitch-f ing machine, means on the table for separating Y and supporting the bag strings, a reciprocating member arranged adjacent the anvil, an oscillating hook mounted on said member and adapted to engage a bag string and feed it over the anvil, and a combing device to remove the bag string from the anvil after the stitching operation.

12. In combination with a wire v stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags of the string closure type to the anvil of the stitching machine, means for feeding the string of the bag over the anvil, anda combing device for removing the string from the anvil after the stitching operation. 'i

13.' In combination With a Wire stitching machine, a rotary table adapted to feed bags' of the string closure type to the anvil of the` stitching machine, areciprocating member arranged adjacent the anvil, an arm carried by said member having a notch to `engage a 'bag string Aand remove it from the anvil, and means lfor actuating said arm.

14. In combination with a Wire stitching machine, la rotary table adapted to feed bagsof the string closure type'to the anvil-of the stitching machine, a reciprocating member arranged adjacent the anvil, an arm pivoted on said member,

JOHN THOMAS DALTON. 

